David

The tribes of Israel needed to defeat the powerful Philistines: "Choose a king from among you," said Samuel. Thus, the Hebrews received their first king, Saul, who led them against their enemies with divine help and became known as a brave and mighty warlord. However, Saul had constant doubts about his mission and acted on his own accord, leading him to sin against God. The influential prophet Samuel turned away from Saul in favor of another candidate: David. He was still a young shepherd when Samuel anointed him as the next king. When David triumphed over Goliath, he became a hero. His fame drew the jealousy of King Saul, who saw that David threatened his claim to power and tried to kill him by sending Uriah to death. In exile, David waited for his time, hoping not to seize power violently. He was young and in prime condition when Saul fell ill after battle, and it was now David's turn to rule as king of peace. However, this quick-tempered man with a history of battles still needed time to lead his people without violence; he was not predestined for a quiet life. Soon enough, he would plunge into an illicit affair with Bathsheba, which led to the death of her husband Uriah and the birth of Solomon. The prophet Nathan announced that David's actions would result in divine punishment: violence and evil would continue within his family, bringing disaster upon his sons. This final blow came when Absalom, one of David's own sons, killed one of his brothers for raping his sister. David was too gentle to punish the incestuous seducer or his fratricide. The king did not realize that he was losing control over his family and weakening the rule of the people. For David dreamed of building the finest temple in the world at Jerusalem, demanding massive sums from the populace despite God's directive for successors to complete the construction project. David's ambitious son Absalom thus rallied support for a conspiracy against him after a fierce battle; Absalom was eventually killed. David returned to Jerusalem victorious.